The Eagles kick off their “Hotel California 2021” tour dates on Sunday night (August 22nd) with the first of two shows at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. The band will be on the road through November 5th, taking in a total of 19 dates, when they wrap the year at Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena.
The band's ongoing Hotel California shows feature an accompanying orchestra and choir, and kick off with the classic album. The band goes on to play a further 23 tunes — including a few dips into both Don Henley and Joe Walsh's solo catalogues.
In addition to Henley and Walsh, the Eagles also feature 43-year-veteran Timothy B. Schmit — along with the late-Glenn Frey's 28-year-old son Deacon Frey, as well as country legend Vince Gill.
Hotel California is now the third best-selling album of all time, having been certified 26-times Platinum by the RIAA for sales and streams of more than 26 million copies.
We asked Joe Walsh what he feels when he's fronting the band and letting loose on one of his signature solos: “It makes me very humble and very grateful. When I do that, everybody, kind of perks up — and I can feel that. I can feel that energy and I see a lot of people smiling and a lot of people dancing and singing the words. And that makes me wanna play my ass off, and that makes them happy. And that I can make that many people happy with my music, is all the payback I need.”
Back in 2015, Don Henley was interviewed by old friend Billy Joel at Manhattan's 92nd Street Y, and spoke candidly about how and where the Eagles fit into his life these days: “The Eagles is just a part of me. Glenn (Frey) and I started that band back in 1971 and we did have a little hiatus; y'know, we parted company for 14 years — and then in 1994 realized actually that there was still a demand for our services — and so, we got back together. And it hasn't always been smooth sailing, but as we've gotten older and more mature, and as we've all gotten married and had children, y'know, that will have a tempering effect on your personality.”
